What Does Red Drum Taste Like? Is Redfish Tasty?

picture of a fisherman holding a red drum fish

If you have fished for red drum fish before but have never eaten it then you’re probably wondering what does red drum fish taste like? Well, red drum fish has a sweet and mild taste and it’s also fishy. I love to eat redfish and when I catch it I use a recipe that makes it taste even better.

In this article, I talk all about red drum fish from how to cook it to how well it freezes so that you can keep your redfish fresh much longer. I also go in-depth on the other fish that redfish taste similar to and about what red drum fish like to eat which will be helpful when your targeting this fish species so that you can use what they eat as bait to attract them to your hook even better.

By the end of this article, you will learn what red drum fish tastes like and some tips on how to cook redfish.

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What Does Red Drum Taste Like?

Red drum fish tastes similar to crab and shrimp and has a mild, sweet, and a fishy flavor taste that’s delicious. Its white meat is firm and flaky and is identical to striped bass the only difference is that redfish is much more firm and striped bass is more moist. 

Since the bigger-sized red drum fish taste less sweet and mild, most fishers prefer to eat the young redfish more. This is because over time while red drum fish get older their meat changes to a darker color compared to young redfish, they have a small amount of green color which makes it easy to tell the difference.

Even then I still like the taste of an older redfish and you can add some lemon pepper with some salt to make it even more delicious.

My Favorite Red Drum Recipe

picture of cooked red drum fish on a plate

Have you ever cooked a red drum fish and maybe it was missing some flavor well I have my favorite red drum recipe that you can check out along with the ingredients here below.

  • Sea salt
  • Lemon pepper
  • Black pepper
  • Cajun seasoning
  • Olive oil

How To Fillet A Red Drum Fish

To fillet a red drum fish first start at the head section and cut at an angle beside the fin near the head and cut all the way down to the belly section. Next start cutting the spine from the head right to the tail all the way through the tail and remove the meat. Flip over the red drum fish and repeat the process just like you did on the other side.

How To Cook Red Drum

When I cook a red drum fillet I always put it on a skillet it’s a great way to cook redfish in. First, pour a small amount of olive oil on top of each redfish fillet and rub the olive oil with your hands on both sides of the meat.

Then grab your Cajun seasoning and pour it on the redfish meat enough to cover both sides but not too much.

The next thing to do will be to pour a bit of sea salt along with some black pepper then flip the fillet over to do it on the other side. After that grab your lemon pepper and pour it just like you did with the sea salt.

Now you can place the red drum fish meat into the skillet pan to cook it for about three minutes on each side depending on the heat temperature. You can check how well the redfish is cooked by sticking your fork in it, if the flakes come off smoothly and easily that means that the fish is cooked well and is ready.

Finally, enjoy your cooked red drum fish fillet and its delicious redfish taste.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Does Redfish Taste Fishy?

Yes, redfish tastes fishy and has a sweet and mild flavor that makes it one of the most delicious tasting fish to eat.

Red Drum Vs Redfish

Red drum and redfish are the same exact fish, redfish has other nicknames it goes by like red, channel bass, red drum, spot tail bass, and even red bass. Depending on where you’re located you will find that red drum is used more on the east coast and redfish on the west coast.

Does Red Drum Taste Good?

Yes, red drum tastes good its one of the most popular eating fish for its sweet and mild delicious flavor that tastes like shrimp and crab. Also, it’s easier to cook than most fish and doesn’t require many ingredients.

What Is A Red Drum Fish?

picture of what a red drum fish looks like

A red drum fish is an Atlantic ocean fish that’s in the Sciaenops ocellatus fish family. It has a black spot close to the tail section and its back is red colored with its stomach section being more white.

If you have ever caught a black drum fish then you will know how a red drum fish looks when you see it the main difference is that a red drum fish is red colored and a black drum fish is black.

Is Redfish A Freshwater Fish Or A Saltwater Fish?

Redfish is both a saltwater fish and a freshwater fish but the difference between the two is that freshwater redfish cant reproduce and saltwater redfish can, making saltwater areas more populated with redfish and a more common area to target them in.

Is Redfish The Same As Red Snapper?

No redfish is not the same as red snapper although they both have red in their name and are both from the Atlantic ocean red drum fish is a totally different fish from the red snapper. Redfish has a black spot near the tail section and is less red compared to red snapper. Red snapper is a lot more red colored and has some pink color to it as well.

What Is Redfish Similar To?

Redfish is similar to striped bass their meat has a similar taste that’s sweet and mild along with their texture which is flaky and firm. Also, it’s very similar to black drum fish as they are from the same fish family so it’s no surprise that they are so alike.

What Do Red Drum Eat?

Red drum eat mainly worms, shrimp, clams, crabs, and fish that are smaller in size like croaker and they are bottom-feeding fish.

Does Red Drum Freeze Well?

Yes, red drum will freeze well, if you have a freshly cut red drum fish fillet you can put it inside of a ziploc bag but you need to do a few steps first before you do this. First, get a bowl of water then pour some table salt and a few ice cubes into it.

Then grab your red drum fillets and rinse them inside the bowl of water. Rinsing the redfish meat in the bowl will clean off the fish slime and any blood remnants.

Next, grab a ziploc bag and pour some tap water into it only a little less than half of the bag should be full. Finally, put the redfish fillets in the bag and make sure that there inside the water this will help remove oxygen from the fish so that freezer doesn’t happen.

In Conclusion

In conclusion, red drum fish is a very tasty fish that I really like to eat and it’s a great fighting fish so next time you catch a redfish try out my recipe and see how great its taste is. Now that you have learned what red drum fish tastes like go out and go catch some redfish so that you can see how delicious they taste.